Roberts Travel Blog

There are 60 Bronze Reliefs around the outer wall of the fountain's water basin.These reliefs illustrate a continuous sequence of human generations and relationships.

Gustav was a very talented individual !

The Fountain (Vigelandsfontenen) in The Vigeland Park is a massive bronze and granite monument that serves as the oldest and core center of the entire park layout.

Designed entirely by Gustav Vigeland, it explores the circle of life, combining rushing water with 72 separate bronze figures and reliefs.

Six bronze men giants sit the middle of the fountain of varying ages lifting a massive, heavy plate. Positioned along the stone border of the fountain are twenty unique tree sculptures intertwined with human figures. Known as the "Trees of Life," these statues depict human life stages spanning from early childhood and young love up to skeletal figures representing decay and death.

Gustav Vigeland initially designed the centerpiece in 1906, intending for it to be placed in front of the Stortinget (the Norwegian Parliament building). Due to space restrictions and the ever-growing number of extra statues he added to the project over four decades, the Oslo city council eventually moved the installation to Frogner Park in 1924.

Everything you see in the park was designed by Gustav - including the iron gates.

The "mosaic path" at Vigeland Park is an elaborate 1,800-square-meter maze of black and white granite. Located right around the central Fountain, it forms a winding pathway that spans nearly 3 kilometers to symbolize the twisting, blind alleys of human life.

The Length of the maze if stretched end-to-end,is an astounding 3,000 meters long.

Gustav Vigeland designed everything himself. Not just the sculptures, but also the bridges, fountains, gates and layout of the park, creating a complete work of art.

The “Monolith” in these photos is his masterpiece. It was carved from a single block of granite about 17 metres (56 feet) high.

it features 121 intertwined human figures climbing upwards, symbolising humanity’s search for spiritual fulfilment and connection. It shows ageing and death and all stages of life.

These two bronze statues depict a young girl on the left and a young boy on the right. The boy is having a tantrum. The young girl looks on quietly.

The “Angry Boy” (Sinnataggen) created by Gustav Vigeland, shows a small boy in the middle of a tantrum. He’s stamping one foot. His fists are clenched.His face is scrunched up in anger as if he’s crying or shouting.

It is a custom for visitors to touch the boy statue but as a consequence the poor young girl is often ignored .. for not having a tantrum!

Wonder who that might remind you of ?

We visited the famous Vigeland Park and were not disappointed.

Gustav Vigeland (1869–1943) was Norway’s most famous sculptor and the creator of the extraordinary sculptures in Vigeland Park.

His life’s greatest achievement was designing more than 200 bronze, granite and cast-iron sculptures for Vigeland Park. The park contains over 600 human figures, depicting every stage of life—from babies and children to adults and the elderly. Rather than portraying famous people, Vigeland wanted to express universal human emotions such as love, joy, struggle, family, ageing and death.

Some 10km outside of Oslo sits a very tall ski slope. As soon as infants can walk they are put in skis. Children in Norway are taught skiing as part of the school curriculum.

Ski jumping competitions have been held at Holmenkollen since 1892. The current steel ski jump opened in 2010, replacing several earlier versions. The slope here is regarded as one of the spiritual home of ski jumping.

The jump tower is about 60 metres high, and athletes can reach speeds of around 95 km/h (59 mph) before taking off. The photos don’t do justice to the drop at the end of the run … just terrifying!

The white strip you see running down the Holmenkollen Ski Jump is not snow. It’s a specially designed porcelain and ceramic track with stainless steel grooves. Now I never knew that !

The two narrow tracks that the skier’s skis run in are made from porcelain (ceramic). This material is extremely smooth, hard-wearing, and provides a consistent surface.

There is also a ski museum displaying skis dating back over 4,000 years, making it the oldest museum in the world dedicated to skiing.

Now why would you want to take a photo of a street name ? Well because in Oslo they are just more than street names. They tell a story. And this is everything you’d want to know from this street name.

Haakon VII was born in 1872 and died in 1957, aged 82. At the age of 33 he became King of Norway and remained king for the next 52 years.

Great idea !

Oslo Cathedral (Oslo Domkirke) is the main church of the Church of Norway in Oslo and has been the city’s cathedral since 1950. It’s located very centrally on Stortorvet Square, and it is where many royal weddings, funerals, and national ceremonies take place.

The current cathedral was built between 1694 and 1697 and was consecrated on 7 November 1697. It was originally known as Our Saviour’s Church (Vor Frelsers Kirke). The church replaced earlier churches that had been destroyed by fires after the city was moved following the great fire of 1624.

One of the cathedral’s greatest treasures is its spectacular ceiling decoration by Norwegian artist Hugo Lous Mohr.

The paintings cover about 1,500 square metres, making them the largest ceiling paintings in Norway. They are relatively modern and were painted between 1937 and 1950. At the centre is a radiant sun with the inscription “Gloria in excelsis Deo” (“Glory to God in the highest”), from which light spreads across the entire ceiling.

Otherwise internally the rest of the cathedral is quite minimalist.

The oldest church clock in Norway is in the cathedral tower and it dates from 1718 and is still in operation.

Outside the cathedral is a small stone carving known as the “Devil of Oslo.” According to local legend, it represents a thief turned to stone by the devil, though several different stories exist about its origin.

The Norwegian Parliament Building, officially called the Storting (Stortingsbygningen). After Norway adopted its constitution in 1814, Parliament met in a series of borrowed buildings for more than 50 years. By the 1850s, it was clear that the growing legislature needed a permanent home of its own.

An architectural competition was held in 1856 but the winning design was initially rejected because MPs thought it looked too much like a church. Instead, Parliament chose a bold design by Swedish architect Emil Victor Langlet.Construction began in 1860, the cornerstone was laid in 1861, and the building officially opened on 5 March 1866.

During the German invasion of Norway in 1940, Parliament fled Oslo and met briefly elsewhere before continuing its work in exile. The building itself was occupied by German authorities during the occupation.

The two famous granite lions outside the entrance were carved in 1865 by prisoners from Akershus Fortress under professional supervision. They gave rise to the nickname “Løvebakken” (“The Lion Hill”), which Norwegians still use as a shorthand term for Parliament.

The placement of the Parliament, the University, and the Palace , all in close proximity was deliberately planned in the 1800s to create the political and ceremonial heart of modern Oslo.